I find myself in the position to chase Monday’s solar eclipse, if only I could come up with a strategy.

I’m now in Billings, Montana, which seems to be as close to the Path of Totality – I love that phrase – as I can afford. Rooms much closer to the magic path cost $1,000 or more.

So I’m thinking: Do I drive into the path, find a long dirt road and sleep in my rented car? It’s more than three hours to where I can see the total eclipse. Do I drive hours into Wyoming, watch the sky for 20 minutes, then turn around and drive back? Do I find some cool place in Billings and just enjoy the partial eclipse?

Further complicating things, I don’t have any eclipse-watching sunglasses, and doubt I’ll find any now.